Self Love Every Day

We’re about four weeks out from the holiday season now and some people are still holding on to more than just their Christmas lights. Well you may be one of those families that keep their lights up well into February (Guilty! Lol) I’m going to be talking about a little more than Christmas decorations! I’m talking holiday weight! But, I say that with the utmost love and appreciation! Here is why and how you can start practicing self-love TODAY!

OK ladies, we all know it happens to everyone! When someone mutters the phrase ‘holiday weight’ we don’t naively look at them with confusion in our eyes and ask “What’s that?!” No, it’s more like an eye roll followed by a sigh as we meet their frustration with a “Here we go!” or “Tell me about it!” I mean let’s be serious! If someone gave you the choice of sitting on the beach sipping cocktails or sweating it out at the gym which would you choose? (I’m a bit of a workout freak but guuuurl I would still choose the beach cocktails!) It’s the exact same thing when it comes to the holidays. Thanksgiving, then Christmas, then New Year’s all full of delicious, rich, heavy, did I say delicious? Foods! Let’s not forget all the mulled wine, spiked nog, and seasonal brews! We have the choice of healthy veggies and lean protein or the previously mentioned food! I don’t even have to ask which you would choose!

The biggest thing though, is not the fact that we may have overindulged during the holidays but the loved ones we shared the food and great times with. During this Christmas I thought “I can totally make it through the holidays eating healthy, just watch” and I made it through Thanksgiving great! I made a healthy vegan Thanksgiving lentil loaf and nice cream for dessert and I silently gave myself a HUGE pat on the back. But, as Christmas approached it became harder and harder for me to resist temptation. We were surrounded by family, as we are every Christmas. Our time together was filled with beer and game nights, skiing trips, and day trips. Also, my mom is a baking machine so every time I walked into her house I almost had to shield my eyes from all the goodies that littered the tables and counter tops! Occasionally, believe it or not, I gave in and tried some of her creations and let me tell you, NO REGRETS!. On Christmas day we went snowboarding in a town that was MUCH smaller than I had remembered and since it was Christmas day there was nothing open but the ski resort. If you have ever been a vegan at a small ski resort you will know there is NOTHING they can fry up for you but potatoes! So, Christmas dinner consisted of canned re-fried beans and beer! But, it was all OK! The memories spent with family, even in the most unhealthy eating situations (canned beans and beer lol!), is far more valuable than a pat on the back for eating healthy all Christmas.

I’m sure your story was pretty similar too. Be proud that you spent the time with family. Be proud that you allowed yourself to enjoy small indulgences. I’m not saying it’s OK to OVER-indulge but it is OK to say yes to dessert or add something a little unhealthy to your plate on occasion. This could easily go overboard too and be turned into eating crap all day, every day, for the entire month of December. If that happened to you, oh well. Shit happens! But like I mentioned in my post “Resolutions Don’t Work” don’t beat yourself up over it. We cannot change what happened yesterday, or last month, or last year but we can change what we do right now, in this moment and how we will work on things tomorrow.

So how do you love yourself today despite how you may feel or how many pounds you gained?

Stop obsessing over the extra weight!

I know your clothes may feel a little tight and you may feel like a bloated blimp. Believe me I have been there and I know I will be there again. It’s just normal. Most women will experience weight fluctuations throughout their life and it’s just how it goes. So, you can either obsess over the idea (or reality) of gaining weight, for the rest of your life or just start accepting the fact right here, right now. It’s OK!

You are still the beautiful and amazing you!

Just because you put on a few extra pounds doesn’t mean you are any less beautiful. I know when I gain a little weight I tend to fall into the obsession trap and worry so much about how frumpy and dumpy I feel instead of focusing on enjoying life despite how I perceive myself. When I gain a few pounds I often feel like I have to hide myself from the world until I am once again satisfied with my weight and how I look. THIS IS JUST BULLSHIT! Ladies, we need to stop letting our size determine how much we enjoy life from one day to the next. Housed within that beautiful shell is an even more beautiful soul and you need to let that shine as if the world depended on it! Cause guess what, it kind of does… but really, when we are so obsessed over how we look, which causes us to hide ourselves, we miss opportunities to experience the beauty of life or opportunities to brighten someone else’s day because we are stuck in a cloud we created ourselves. A cloud that not only did we create but we are the only ones who see it! No one else cares about the 5,10,15 extra pounds you put on they just see your personality, your kindness, your light, and how you make them feel. And quite honestly if someone is judging you for your weight or making rude comments about it, Forget them! You sure as hell don’t need that kind of person or negativity in your life.

Where you are now does not determine where you will be tomorrow.

One of the biggest affirmations I say to myself when I feel yucky is “The more I love and accept myself, the more motivated I become to accomplish my goals” OK that’s a lie I’m not even that eloquent in my own head, it’s more like “Yeah I’m a little chunkier today, but I’m going to crush this workout and feel better tomorrow!” Your mindset absolutely affects your success today. So put your big girl panties on and get past the barriers you are creating for yourself and focus on crushing your diet, workout, or insecurities today! Then, wake up tomorrow and do it all over again! The best way to succeed from Monday to Friday is not to focus on Friday but to do your best today and take care of tomorrow when it comes.

Finally, find small ways to show yourself love and appreciation today

Appreciate your beauty today. That might be something as simple as picking one thing to love about your body today and focusing on that throughout the day! Maybe you choose to do something that makes you feel beautiful like dressing up and going out or picking an activity that you excel at like singing, playing an instrument, dancing, or practicing yoga. Whatever it may be, do it, and appreciate your beauty and uniqueness.Now go out there and rock it girl! Own where you are then show yourself how much you are capable of accomplishing when you put all the insecurities and worries aside. Let your journey be an inspiration to others.